Finally Free
by LittleMissBrit
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline thinks a fleeting moment with First Son Klaus is the last she'll ever see of him. She didn't expect it, however, when he and his siblings pull up at her school, ready for a new life in Mystic Falls. It won't be just their life that changes- it'll be hers too. Klaroline!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMED**

**Chapter 1**

Caroline strolled down the beautiful streets of Washington DC. It was a warm summer day and the birds were tweeting from the electricity line. In a black leather jacket, jeans and heeled-boots, she looked casually cute in a city full of cute boys. Scooping the last of her Ben and Jerry's into her mouth, she popped it into a bin.

"I like this place," Bonnie commented as she brushed a hand through her long, dark hair, "I wish that the cheerleading competitions were set her more often. We always have to go to Chicago and as much as I love the Windy City, I just want a change of scenery."

"Hey, we went to LA for the semi-finals," Elena reminded her, "That was pretty cool. Sun, beach and hot dudes. I mean, there are a lot of good-looking guys anywhere but they all had their tops off at the beach. Oh, and when they did a Daniel Craig moment, coming out of the ocean!"

Caroline rolled her eyes as they crossed the road. Just before they reached the pavement, a car came screeching down, going _much _faster than the speed limit allowed. Jumping onto the curb, she turned round and scowled as the black sports car sped around the bend.

"Some people," she tutted in annoyance.

Bonnie and Elena giggled at her irritated face.

"Shut up!" she shot back, "I almost died!"

They smirked back at her as they continued to walk. The streets were getting busier and busier, with pedestrians at every turn. Caroline knew that the place would be pretty busy, but it was actually packed. Supposing that there was some interesting event, they began to slide their way through the throng of people.

"Excuse me, m'am," Bonnie turned to an elderly lady, "But is there any reason why everybody is crowding in the streets, today?"

The woman's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas, "Aye, there is a very good reason! The President is apparently visiting. You and I know both know that is a rarity for him to appear out in public, unless some kind of political event is rolling about."

"Oh, thank you," Bonnie smiled politely before turning back to her friends.

The President Mikael Mikaelson was one of the most mysterious men in politics, even if he was the President. Most of the US didn't care- he was extremely effective. Unemployment was at an all-time low, public spending at an all time high and everyone seemed pretty happy with the current economic situation. His family, unlike him, were quite public. His wife Esther was known as a charity advocate, particularly supportive of disabled people, as her brother had grown up with cerebral palsy. She was a trained doctor.

They also had five children. There were originally six but the youngest, Henrik, was killed aged 10 when he was crushed by a horse.

The oldest was Elijah, a college student. Well, he was due to start Columbia in the fall, studying business. He was portrayed as a serious, studious young man in the press and was often seen on the arm of the lovely Katherine Pierce, his high school sweetheart and society princess (though many would argue that she was more rebel than princess).

The second oldest was Finn. Also serious and studious, he was the one who was most likely to hide from public eye. Practically nothing was known about him and he only had a few select friends along with his girlfriend Sage Matthews. It was a common rumour in the press that he was hated by the siblings, but that was very untrue. He was currently a junior, soon to be a senior.

Next in line was Niklaus, known as Nik to the family and Klaus to the outside world. He was a true bad boy- forever getting into trouble with the press. He was moody, rebellious, only hanging out with a couple of people. If Klaus opened up to you or talked to you for more than thirty seconds, you could count yourself pretty lucky. He was actually very intelligent, but did not choose to show it in class. He was preparing to be a junior.

Finally we had Kol and Rebekah, the baby of the group. Well, Rebekah was only the baby because she was ten minutes younger than her fraternal twin and because of the terrible tragedy involving Henrik. Kol was a smooth-taking womanizer, a cheeky chappy who liked to chat up the ladies. Like Klaus, he was intelligent but unlike his brother, he really didn't apply himself. He had a reputation in the media for being a 'scoundrel,' which was a bit too far in most people's opinion. Rebekah was known to be quite off-putting to most people and she didn't really have that many friends. A rumour had done its round saying that she'd had a breakdown because she had no friends and felt that she was ignored by her family. Mikael threw a fit and sued all the papers, shutting the story down. A bright and happy Rebekah appeared the next to make a statement, telling the shuffling reporters that she was perfectly fine.

"I hope he appears," Bonnie was a huge follower of politics, "I'd really like to tell him that his reform about helping disadvantaged children was really noble. I'm so glad that Congress passed it."

"Mm," Elena agreed, not really listening. She wasn't a real fan of the White House events.

"I hear that Klaus is in trouble again," Caroline admired her newly-painted nails; "Apparently he stole his dad's car and went on a joyride with some friends around the city. The magazines in the hotel are surprisingly up to date."

"Honey, that was two months ago," Bonnie shook her head, "I think you misread the date. Anyway, that turned out to be a load of rubbish- it was actually some senator's son who had pinned the blame on him. Disgusting."

There was a silent moment before an almighty cheer was elicited throughout the crowd. Slipping through the people, they managed to convince a few of the taller people to stand back, which was awfully kind of them.

Just a few metres near the front, a blonde woman in a black skirt suit stood in front of a camera, obviously a news reporter.

"Today, President Mikael Mikaelson is making a rare public appearance in a DC street. Sources have reported that several members of his family, including wife Esther, will be joining him. The crowds are very excited to see the man who has changed America. According to PresidentStats. com, the President has an 88% approval rating from voters and is consistently praised by professionals and the public alike."

Behind her, a black limousine pulled up and a much louder cheer greeted it.

"It appears that the First Family has arrived," the blonde turned away from the camera, "Let's take a look shall we?"

Several Secret Service agents circled the car and pulled the doors open. Mikael stepped out and gave a massive smile, waving to the cheering people. Stepping back, he extended a hand and a palm placed itself onto his. Giving her husband a nod, Esther gave a delicate wave. On the other side, a pretty blonde appeared- Rebekah. She beamed and moved out of the way for two others to get out- Kol and Klaus. Kol gave a cheeky grin and a wink that sent all of the girls crazy. Klaus, looking as moody as usual, merely nodded.

"And here they are," blonde woman stated to the camera, "The family, minus elder brothers Finn and Elijah. It's nice to see the First Lady and her children out and about together, something so rarely seen."

The group slowly split apart and went up to meet members of the crowd. For the first few minutes, the girls let people go in front of them before slipping back to where they were originally.

"They're getting closer!" Elena shouted above the racket.

As she said that, Mikael moved into the vicinity. Bonnie, not missing a beat, promptly stuck her hand out. The president took it and shook it politely, giving her a kind smile before moving on to talk to an elderly lady.

"Wow, I got to shake the hand of one of the most powerful men alive!" she beamed.

The minutes went by and nearly all of the family passed, but this time, none of the girls really got a chance to interact with any of the family. Elena got a smile from Esther when she commented to Caroline that she liked the First Lady's blouse.

"I think they're leaving soon," a man behind them told his wife, "Look, they're heading back to the car. Well, kind of."

He was right- Esther and Mikael were entering and Kol was not far away, talking to the blonde news reporter in what looked like an interview. Rebekah was walking towards the limo, checking her phone with a bored expression.

However, Klaus seemed to still be milling around. Unlike the others, he hadn't really interacted with the public, merely sticking to the side and talking for a minute with the odd agent.

"Why's he sticking around?" Caroline nodded towards the young man.

Elena shrugged, "Maybe he has something to do."

The young man scowled as an official-looking man muttered in his ear, shaking his head. Walking away, he ignored the large crowd, seemingly only interested in his own affairs. He strolled past just as a distracted Caroline dropped her bag.

Just as it looked as though one of the agents holding back the crowd was going to pick it up and hand it back to her, Klaus paused and crouched down, pulling it from the gravel. He then got back up and presented it to her, still without a word.

"T…T…Thanks," she stuttered as she took it, shocked

"Anytime, love," he gave her a small smile before turning his back to everyone, heading towards the car. After he entered, several SS agents got in behind him and without warning; it drove off into the distance.

"Lucky you!" Bonnie turned to Caroline, smiling.

"I guess I should feel flattered, right?"

"You make it sound like it's such a rare occasion," Elena commented as they started walking back to where they had arrived on the street.

"Yeah, he does talk to people when he's out and stuff, but Care here was the only one he interacted with today. It's not a victory thing, but it's still pretty cool."

They wandered down the road, Caroline checking out her reflection in a shop window before realising, with much embrassement, that there was an assistant in the window dressing a mannequin.

Woops.

"What time is it?"

"Almost three," Elena checked her watch, before holding back a swear word, "Damn it! We've got to get back to the hotel in five minutes or Mrs. White will have our heads! You know what she's like with tardiness."

"Well, I'm sure that if we told her that we interacted with the First Family, she'd lay off us," Bonnie commented, "You know what she thinks of everyone at school- 'dumb teenagers who only care about Air Jordan's and the latest Kim Kardashian marriage.' This should lighten her mood."

"I hope so," Caroline smiled.

For some reason, she felt different after meeting Klaus, like they had some kind of…connection. Shrugging it off, she realised that they wouldn't be interacting again for a very long time.

Or so she thought.

**So that was the first chapter. I hope you liked it.**

**Even though the character descriptions seemed a little…off, we will learn more about them later. I didn't explicitly state that it was their personalities, just what the press said.**

**Next chapter will see the story skip a few months to the start of the new school year.**

**Review if you'd like. No flames though, please!**

**Thanks and see ya later xxx**

**P.S There are a couple of Klaroline photos related to the season finale. It looks like it's gonna be pretty good!**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMED**

**Thanks to: Blue, Guest, Pinkgem22, SKyBlue1309, Mystery Girl3, anie1223, MysticxVamp and Guest for reviewing! Also thanks to the six who favourited and twenty who followed.**

**Pinkgem22: No, they're not related and are both the same age- 16.**

**Chapter 2**

_**Several months later…**_

Caroline's black Ford Fiesta cruised down the road. Elena was in the passenger seat, texting someone whilst Bonnie stared out of the window, absent mindedly. It was early September, a cool day with a nice breeze. Not exactly summer heat but not freezing winter either.

"I can't believe we're starting our junior year," the driver told her friend, "It's really weird to think that this time in a couple of years, we'll be in college- away from Mystic Falls. Away from our friends and family, away from small town life."

"It is weird," Elena looked up from her phone, "I'm looking forward to this year. Not too much pressure and we're not at the bottom of the food chain as freshmen. It'll be interesting to see the new recruits for the squad- I hope there's some talent. I hear that Kate Jones has recovered from her leg injury and is trying out. I hope she does too- I've seen some of her moves. They're phenomenal!"

Caroline smiled. She had found out that she was the new captain of the cheerleading squad not long back, which was practically unheard of for someone in their year. Miss. Collins, the PE teacher who coached the girls told her that she'd picked her because she showed excellent gymnastic skills and dance moves, as well as the ability to lead. She was friends with the majority of the others, which also helped.

Finally reaching the school, she entered the car park and maneuvered into a space with ease. Her mother Liz, the sheriff, had taught her to drive and she prided herself on being excellent on the road, compared to many people she knew. Stopping, she turned off the ignition and all three exited onto the gravel. Banding together, they walked up to the grounds, deciding not to go in yet.

The school was already fairly busy and many people they knew were milling around, chatting or playing football in the case of Tyler Lockwood and a couple of his jock buddies.

"Do you reckon they'll be any newbies this year?" Bonnie asked as she brushed a hand through her hair.

"Maybe," Elena shrugged, "There aren't that many usually. The last one I remember was Brett Matthews at the end of ninth grade. Oh, and when Hayley Winchester arrived at the start of the sophomore year. That's it."

"I hope there are," Caroline spoke suddenly, "I mean, I love everyone here to death, but it's nice to have a bit of change. Maybe a fit guy…who knows? Well two, me for one and another for Bon. Elena has Damon, doesn't she?"

Said girl blushed. Damon Salvatore was a senior and his little brother Stefan was one of their best friends. He and Elena flirted like mad, but it was under a layer of backhanded compliments. Damon was never complimentary to the girls, especially concerning Caroline, but he was never very nasty to Elena. At the end of the last school year, they'd sort of become friends and has hung out over summer break. Caroline and Bonnie, along with close friends Stefan, Matt and Lexi, had taken it upon themselves to tease the pair whenever they could. Lexi was in the year below, but that did not stop them from being very close to her.

"Here they are!"

Two familiar figures came sprinting towards them- Matt and Stefan. The latter grabbed Caroline into a bear-hug whilst the former pulled the other two to him. The boys were like the brothers the girls never had- someone to banter with. The two guys also felt it their duty to intimidate any of the girl's boyfriends and in turn, their girlfriends must be approved by the four ladies.

"Hey guys, welcome back to Hell!" Caroline laughed.

"Well, we've got you lot to get us through it," Matt smiled as he wrapped his arms around Caroline, "Hey, where's Lexi?"

"Missing your girlfriend?" Stefan smirked, just before Matt shoved him.

"Shut it, you," a female voice joined the conversation. Lexi stood before them, giving Stefan a death glare before promptly grinning.

There was a silence for a moment before she broke it.

"Where's my hug?" she pouted, opening out her arms. She received her wish from everyone, before nodding with contentment.

"How was everyone's summer?" Matt asked.

"Honey, you saw us a few days ago," Lexi reminded him, "We went to Tiki's summer party."

The football player shrugged as the others shared knowing glances. Whilst Elena and Damon were teased, the Matt/Lexi potential coupling got a lot more. Whilst the first pair had only been teased for a few months, the other two had been encouraged to date since middle school. Lexi was the only one who laughed at Matt's god-awful jokes and sit through the movies in his vast collection. The flirting between those two was a lot more obvious than every other couple in Mystic Falls. There were many other reasons, but there were far too many to list.

"Have you spoken to Tyler?" Caroline asked Matt.

He shook his head, "Not recently, no. He didn't go to the part cos he was sick. Anyway, I meant to talk to you about that. He misses you but he won't admit it, especially since you haven't spoken to him since the break up. I know you both realise that the split is for the good of both of you, but I think you should remain friends. You were for a long time before the relationship."

Caroline sighed and nodded.

She and Tyler had dated from September to May of sophomore year (pretty much the entirety of tenth grade) before breaking up when they realised that the relationship was going nowhere and there was no point of them trying. They'd stayed apart since then, only talking on occasion. Caroline desperately wanted to remain friends with her ex, but it felt so awkward.

"At least you're free to date as many guys as you'd like," Lexi stated, "I can set you up with quite a few hotties."

"Not my thing, Lex," Caroline patted her shoulder, "But thanks anyway."

"I was saying to the others that there could be some new kids this year," Bonnie told the guys casually, "Well, I was wondering anyway."

Stefan started to say, "I don't think so," before he was stopped start as a large black limo pulled up. Every student fell silent as they stared at the luxurious vehicle stopped and a door opened, with a beefy guy in a suit and sunglasses, with an earwig exited. He looked around fleetingly, before checking again several times, each time more thoroughly. He pulled his right wrist up to his mouth and said something into it, before stepping away from the car.

"This looks promising," Lexi put a hand on Stefan's shoulder and stood on her tiptoes to get a better look.

"Exciting!" Elena corrected as she stared, along with everybody else. Even Tyler and his friends had stopped playing catch.

Several more suited men stepped out of the vehicle and the last of them looked inside before nodding briefly.

The next person to exit caused shockwaves to ripple round the student body.

Rebekah Mikaelson was standing in the middle of the Mystic Falls High School parking lot, several books in her arms.

"What the hell is the First Daughter doing here?" Stefan asked in the upmost shock, "More importantly, why has she got books? Is she going to school here or something?"

"I don't think she's the only one," Matt replied as Kol joined her, a backpack on his person. Scanning his surroundings, he grinned before winking at some girls, who giggled slightly.

"It's a bit dangerous for them to be here, isn't it?" Bonnie asked, "I mean, at least in DC, there are a lot of places to hide in the case of any problems. All sorts of horrible people could find them here and it would be awful if something happened to anyone in this town."

No-one answered as Finn slid out, keeping his head down as he moved closer to his siblings.

"What about Elijah?"

"He's off to college, why would he be here?"

"And Klaus?"

Speak of the devil- the third eldest jumped out with ease before shutting the door behind him, standing next to his baby sister. All of the teens had different expressions- Rebekah looked bored out of her mind, Kol looked excited, whilst Finn was wary and Klaus, annoyed.

Banding together, the group of agents circled around them but tried not to look too threatening as they headed towards the main building.

"Hey, I just realised- Klaus will be in our year," Bonnie suddenly remembered, "I wonder if he'll be in any of our classes."

"Maybe," Elena shrugged.

"Kol and Rebekah will be in mine," Lexi commented lightly, "That'll be interesting- Kol's supposed to be really funny."

Stefan briefly checked his watch.

"Shall we get going, then?"

A brief nod came from everybody and they headed off into the main building.

-FINALLY FREE-

The bell rang as Caroline, Elena and Bonnie entered first period History with Mr. Saltzman. Known as 'Alaric' or 'Ric' to Elena outside of school, he was dating her aunt Jenna. She was really pleased- her aunt deserved someone as kind and caring as Alaric.

Caroline sat third from the left and first row from the back with Bonnie on her left and Elena sat in front of the dark-skinned girl.

Behind them the class started to weave their way in. Even though the bell had gone, none of them would get into trouble. It was an unwritten rule at school that teacher's didn't tell kids off for being tardy on the first day. It just wasn't done.

After everyone had settled, Alaric got up from his desk and smiled.

"Hello everyone and welcome back to a new year at Mystic Falls High," he surveyed the students, "Considering I had the pleasure of teaching you all last year, I won't go through the whole introduction I give my new classes. Last year I made it a bit too long and one of my freshmen fell asleep."

A few titters came from the students.

"As per usual, I expect you to work your butt off," he wagged a finger, "History is by no means an easy subject and you must learn as much as you can in order to achieve an excellent grade. I have no doubt that any of you won't walk out of the school with a pass!"

There was a groan from a few of the students.

"Don't worry, I won't work you too hard," Alaric grinned, "Yet."

More groans.

"The first subject of the year will be the Korean War. But we won't get onto that until later this week. Today we'll take it easy."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Turn to page 244. There's a test on our last topic- life under Mussolini. I'd like you to try it to see how much you actually recall."

Cue protests from everyone, excluding Bonnie and Elena, who just found it pointless.

"Sorry guys, but it just has to be done," Alaric told them apologetically, "Turn to the page and when everyone's done, I'll tell you to start. Please don't cheat or talk, because you're just cheating yourselves. I know you've probably heard that a billion times from your other teachers, but it's kind of true."

He paused, "Please start."

Pens were lifted and the sound of writing filled the room. Caroline bit her lip as he brain wiped itself blank of everything she had learnt last semester in history. Wracking her brain, she scribbled down the vague memories whizzing in her brain.

This was pretty difficult, she thought.

However, her thoughts were interrupted by the classroom door bursting open.

And in walked Klaus.

**Sorry the last part was short, I was building it up. **

**Next chapter will see a conversation between Klaus and Caroline, as well as lunchroom scene which properly introduces Rebekah, Kol and Finn.**

**Please review? **

**Thanks xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMED**

**By the way, I have literally zero idea about the US school system, so sorry about that. All the info I get is from the TV, so it's probably not the most reliable source.**

**Thanks to Sophia Chase, Ktclaire99, April420, hopeless637 and Mystery Girl3 for reviewing! Thanks also to the 16 favourites and 36 followers! You're all so awesome!**

**Replies:**

**Hopeless637: Rebekah and Caroline will be friends and you'll have to see about the Stebekah relationship…**

**April420: Rebekah will be friends with the girls, but Hayley probably won't be in the story. But it's nice to see ideas and wishes.**

**Sophia Chase: Deffo not the only one! I love your 'Never the Bride' story- it's brill!**

**Chapter 3**

The whole class simply stared at him.

"Why are you late, Mr. Mikaelson?" Alaric asked him, not looking too pleased with his new pupil, who also looked a little bored himself, "Oh, and class, this is your new student, Niklaus Mikaelson. I won't make him stand at the front and tell us about himself.

"I got a little…lost sir, won't happen again," Klaus replied, even though he didn't sound too sorry, "And this is appreciated."

"Okay, just go sit down," the teacher sighed, "There's a seat near the back that I'm sure you'll be fine with. We're doing a test on our last subject, which was life under Mussolini. I'd like you to see how much you know, even if you didn't do it.

Klaus nodded and strode down the spaces between the desks, ignoring all of the stares given to him by his peers. Stopping at the seat next to Caroline, he dropped his bag on the floor and plonked himself on the chair, getting his materials out and placing them on the table. Flipping to the page, he slowly looked up and everyone immediately averted their gaze. Rolling his eyes, he found the test and began writing.

As she wrote, Caroline took several sneak peeks at her new classmate. He was extremely handsome, she supposed. Dark blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and a mysterious look- something about him made her curious. She could see why his charm attracted many girls- she was drawn to him.

"Haven't we met before?"

She jumped out of her skin as she swiftly swirled round, locking glares with him. He didn't smile, instead deciding to stare intently at her.

"Ermm..," she began, blushing slightly. Her cheeks flared up as she willed them to return to normal colour.

"We have," he confirmed without waiting for her to agree, "I remember you- the girl who dropped the bag when my family and I did a public meeting back in DC a few months back. The press badgered me for a week afterwards, presuming you were someone special because of the fact I actually talked to you. Shows what they know."

He didn't say this with any hint of emotion, not even a slight smile.

"Oh…that's nice."

Caroline mentally face-palmed herself. What a great response.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your view) for her, Alaric looked up sharply from the book he was reading.

"Is that talking, I hear?" he asked, scanning that section of the room without trying to look too mean.

The two turned deathly silent, averting their eyes back to their work. Every so often, she felt his eyes bore into the side of her head. Brushing it off, she told herself that thinking that Niklaus Mikaelson was staring her was ridiculous.

It went on like that for the rest of the activity. Caroline knew that staring back wouldn't help, as she wanted to get a good mark on the test. She was improving in history and really wanted to come out with a strong grade after school.

After what seemed like an age, the beautiful words: "Pens down," came out of Alaric's mouths.

The whole class took a sigh of relief as they dropped their stationery simultaneously.

"Great job class," he smiled at them all, "Now, I'd like you to all swap tests with a person near you."

In what seemed like a second, Caroline noticed a paper floating down onto her desk, with the name 'Klaus Mikaelson' written in red pen at the top. Rolling her eyes, she passed it to him without even looking to see if he even cared.

"Okay, question 1. Bonnie, what was your answer?"

As predicted, the answering session was quite dull. Remarkably, everybody managed to member at least a few details. Ticking all of her answers save one, Caroline was proud of herself for getting them all right except the very last one. She thought she was terrible at history, but guessed that she was wrong. After all, she had an aptitude for remembering things.

"Alright, who got twenty out of twenty?"

Klaus' hand went in the air and for a moment, he looked kind of pleased, before trying to hide it.

"Well done, Mr. Mikaelson," Alaric nodded approvingly, "Did you do this topic at your previous school?"

The young man shook his head, "Nope."

"So how did you get it all right?"

Klaus shrugged, "I guess I'm just good at this era. My older brother was pretty good at history so it may have just rubbed off on me or something."

Alaric looked interested, but knew that he was not going to get anymore out of the student, "Anyone get nineteen?"

Caroline and Bonnie both raised their hands, smiling at each other as they did so.

"Well done ladies," he nodded, "Which ones did you get wrong?"

"I did worse on the last one. I got it confused with the Acerbo Law."

"I got the first one incorrect," Bonnie added.

"Well, that's not too bad," Alaric checked the sheet, "They were both quite difficult questions, probably the most difficult out of the whole page. Great job, now who got eighteen?"

The process continued on and not long later, the bell for next period rang.

"Okay class," Alaric called to them as they began to pack up, "Homework for next lesson: find out three facts about the Korean War. You don't have to write them down."

As Caroline rushed over to her friends, she tried to avoid Klaus' gaze. For some reason, he made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, in both good ways and bad.

It was going to be really interesting.

-FINALLY FREE-

"I'm telling you, The Script is a much better band than Imagine Dragons," Bonnie argued as they carried their trays over to the table where Stefan, Matt and Lexi were already seated.

"Whatever, Imagine Dragons would wipe the floor with your lot," Elena shot back as she placed her food down on the sofa, pulling the chair back and sitting down.

Caroline rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to throw her salad at her two best friends who had been bickering about their favourite bands since what seemed like an age.

"I had Klaus in my art class," Stefan struck up the conversation.

"We had him in our history," Elena replied, "He didn't really say much but he got all the questions right on the text. He also talked to Caroline for a short while and I caught him looking at her a few times."

She smirked.

"He didn't say a word in art," Stefan told them, "We were doing sketches and instead of showing them off like everyone else, he just packed his pad away and sat there. It was weird."

"He's probably just shy," Matt remarked through a mouthful of chicken, "I mean come on, he's the new kid and he's been torn away from all his mates near the end of his high school. I wouldn't blame anyone for being like that on their first day."

"He's a bit too closed off for my liking," Lexi commented, "I'm sure he's a likeable bloke, but it feels like he has something to hide. I'm not saying he's a criminal or anything, but still…"

Just as she said that, Rebekah passed, clutching her tray and scanning the room, looking downtrodden at the fact that she had nowhere to sit and it didn't seem as though anyone was going to ask her over anytime soon. Everyone seemed to be ignoring her, too engrossed in their own lives.

"Should we invite her to sit with us?" Stefan looked sympathetic, "I feel bad for her."

The others nodded, also feeling sad for the pretty blonde.

"Hey, Rebekah?"

She turned around, unsure of what to expect.

"Would you like to come sit with us?"

Beaming, she rushed over and immediately placed herself between the younger Salvatore and the empty seat that was on the table.

"Hey, I'm Stefan and this here's Matt," he introduced her to the rest of the gang, "And this is Lexi. Next to her are Elena, Bonnie and Caroline."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," she looked a lot more confident, "Thanks for letting me sit with you."

"It's cool," Bonnie replied kindly, "It must be quite different, here in Mystic Falls? A lot slower than DC, I bet."

Rebekah nodded, "I like it though, it's nice. I'm kind of glad to be out of my old school- I didn't like it very much. Everybody called me a bitch, which I suppose it's true."

She shrugged as she took a swig of her orange juice.

"I'm sure that's not true," Lexi told her, frowning slightly.

"They all thought my honesty was bitchiness," Rebekah shrugged, "That's their problem."

The table fell silent.

"Are you thinking about joining any clubs?" asked Matt.

The blonde thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, I'll have to see what's on offer. I'm fairly athletic- more so academic. I'd like to see what sports clubs there are. I can dance as well, but I've never really had lessons, so I'm not that sharp."

"You should join the cheerleaders," Caroline offered, "I'm captain and Elena and Bonnie are also part of the team. If you aren't that good at gymnastics, you could focus more on being a base- the ones who support the flyers."

"I can do gymnastics- cartwheels, flips and the like," Rebekah smiled, "And yeah, I'd like that. When try outs roll around, I'll check it out."

"Hey, where are your brothers?" Matt asked.

"Finn is off talking to some of the seniors and Kol is 'charming' the ladies- he is proving to be very popular. I am unsure of Nik's location but he is probably by himself, as he is quit unsociable. I personally believe he could have many friends, but he just does not try."

Before anyone could say anything else, another tray slammed down onto the table. Caroline almost jumped out of her skin as Klaus sat down on the seat between her and Rebekah.

"Speak of the devil- hello, brother. Nice of you to join us."

"I just wanted to look after my baby sister," he gave her a lopsided smile, "And I want to ensure that the men she is sat with have nothing less than honourable intentions."

He gave Matt and Stefan a dark look.

"Chill man, we intend to hurt your sister," Stefan threw his hands in the air in the form of surrender.

Klaus shrugged coolly.

"Imagine Dragons is so much better!" Elena suddenly started the argument up once more.

"You wish," Bonnie hissed, "The Script put so much more heart and soul into their performances- plus, they sing so much better! Imagine Dragons are good, but The Script are brilliant!"

"They're just a bunch of men who sing songs that only a few people like," Klaus butted in, "Granted they're alright, but they aren't truly talented. They're not a path on Queen or Bon Jovi- now, they are real bands that would wipe the floor with your lot."

A silence graced the table.

"Well, each to their own I suppose," Stefan shrugged, even though he inwardly smiled at the fact he now had a fellow Bon Jovi fan.

More silence.

"Did you read the James Patterson novel I recommended to you?" Caroline turned to Lexi, who shook her head.

"You like James Patterson?" Klaus asked, with interest.

She nodded, "Yes-he's my favourite writer. You sound surprised."

"Favourite novel?"

"3rd Degree," she replied, without missing a beat.

"I never like the Women's Murder Club books- they were much weaker compared to his other works. Still brilliant, but not brilliant enough. I prefer the Alex Cross series, with Roses are Red being the best."

Deciding to say no more, he slipped back into his muteness.

"Well, it's nice to see that somebody else in this school has taste," Caroline looked around, "At least, in my opinion anyway."

But what everyone missed was the small smile Klaus gave as she said those words.

**Chapter 3 done!**

**Did everybody enjoy this week's episode? I smiled so much at the Stefan/Caroline/ ? scene in the diner. I won't say who it was, in case I spoil it for those who haven't seen it.**

**Next chapter: the Forbes visit the Mikaelsons, Rebekah and Caroline bond, as do Klaroline.**

**Please review, it would mean so much.**

**Thanks and see ya later xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMED**

**Sorry that I'm late updating, but my computer died. I couldn't update until recently.**

**I said that I would bring Kol and Finn into last chapter- I'm really sorry, but it completely slipped my mind. I promise that they'll be in this chapter.**

**Thanks to javierflaming28, SkyBlue1309, hopeless637, Sissymac, April420, MysteryGirl3, Guest and Helena for reviewing. Thanks to all the follows and favourites.**

**Hopeless637: That sounds promising- I might include it. Thanks for the suggestion.**

**April420: It will definitely be a slow-burning romance and Rebekah/Caroline will become good friends.**

**Mystery Girl3: As friends, but not as lovers. It's Klaroline and Stebekah for me!**

**Chapter 4**

Caroline entered into the hallway of home. She'd been surprised to see her mother's car outside- Liz Forbes was usually at work when Caroline returned to school.

"Mom?" she entered into the living room to find her sat on the sofa, flicking through her magazine.

"Hello dear," she smiled tiredly, "How was your first day?"

When Caroline's dad, Bill, left, that had put a strain on the mother and daughter relationship. It was not until recently that the two had gotten close to each other. However, both were still fairly distant from one another.

"Great," she smiled, "I'm assuming you heard about the Mikaelsons coming to town?"

Liz nodded.

"We invited Rebekah to sit with us at lunch- she seems perfectly nice. I had a good chatter with her. Klaus was in my history and sat near me, recognizing me from a few months ago. He sat with us at a lunch but he remained silent for most it, apart from when he gave his opinion on Elena and Bonnie's music taste and enquired about my love of James Patterson when I mentioned it."

"He seems like a quiet lad," Liz replied softly, "Did you talk to Kol and Finn?"

Caroline shook her head.

"You'll get a chance later. We're visiting the Mikaelsons later in order to welcome them into the neighborhood. I also need to discuss security plans to the kids and their agents, considering that they could be made into targets. I'd like you to come too."

"That's fine by me, I'm not too bothered."

"Wow," Liz seemed surprised, "I thought you wouldn't want to go."

"I'd like to see Rebekah," Caroline admitted, "I just want her to know that she has friends."

Liz beamed, "I'm proud of you, Caroline. That is a lovely thing to do."

"Thanks," the blonde twisted her curls between her fingers, "On a completely different note- what are we having for dinner? I'm starving. School is so tiring."

Liz laughed slightly- this was the daughter she knew.

-FINALLY FREE-

The car drove into the drive of the Mikaelson home as Caroline gasped in awe. It was beautiful- large, with pale walls and trees lining the pathway. As soon as the vehicle pulled up, several agents surrounded it menacingly, with guns drawn.

Liz rolled down the window, revealing her badge, "Sheriff Forbes, I'm expected."

A senior-looking official, "She is. Please step out of the vehicle ladies, as we need to check it. We will also need to frisk you."

The two stepped out and walked several metres away. As soon as Caroline stopped, a woman approached and requested that she held her hands in the air and took her shoes off. Doing as she was told, she waited patiently as the agent patted her down to ensure that she had nothing inappropriate on her person. Satisfied, the agent told Caroline to empty her pockets. As she did, she noticed a man running some kind of machine over the car.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"Checking for radioactive materials," the agent replied, "It's very important- you'd be surprised how many times we've discovered that kind of thing in vehicles."

She surveyed everything before nodding.

"That's fine, miss. You may take your things now," she held out the phone, keys and packet of gum.

"Thanks," Caroline placed everything back in her pockets and slipped her shoes back on before heading over to her mother, who was handing her keys to a valet. Standing together, they were escorted by the agents to the front door, which was being opened by some kind of housekeeper.

"Please place your outerwear on the rack," she told them in a deadpan voice as they crossed through the threshold. Caroline slipped her coat off, as did Liz with her sheriff jacket.

"The family is in the lounge," the woman pointed towards a door, "They're expecting you."

Without any warning, she walked off in a stiff manner.

Caroline was tempted to make a comment, but refrained from it. Walking in-sync with her mother, she entered into the living room.

"Hi, Caroline!" Rebekah beamed at her, looking up from the magazine she was reading. Placing it down, she examined her perfectly-manicured nails.

"Hey," the blonde smiled back, "Hi Klaus."

He grunted in response as he stared moodily at the fire.

"Hello, Caroline, Sheriff Forbes," a middle-aged man got up from his seat and shook both of their hands, "My name is Agent Clark and I am the senior SS agent in charge of the Mikaelson family's safety. I will be co-operating with you closely in order to make sure no harm comes to anybody in Mystic Falls as the result of anyone going after the teens."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Clark," Liz smiled politely.

"Please, call me David," he smiled back before turning towards a door, "Finn! Kol! The sheriff is here. Put the food back in the fridge!"

Several seconds later, two teenagers entered. The first was Finn- a tall young man who was nowhere as near as good-looking as his siblings, but he was still not too bad looking. He was staring at the other brother, Kol, with annoyance and a slight air of condescendence. Kol was very pleasing on the eyes, but in a different kind of way to Klaus. Whilst Klaus had more mannish features, the younger Mikaelson brother was handsome in a boyish kind of way.

"I wasn't eating anything this time, Dave," Kol smirked.

"Then how come you have crumbs around your mouth?" Klaus countered.

Kol's hands flew up to his mouth and scowled as Rebekah and Caroline laughed, whilst Finn merely rolled his eyes. He seemed too like the sensible one.

However, the younger boy's facial expression brightened up as he saw Caroline. Almost knocking over the coffee table, he immediately took her hand and kissed it, before standing up straight.

"Hello," he scanned her body quickly, "I'm the one and only Kol Mikaelson. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss. Forbes."

He then turned to Liz, "Good evening, Sheriff Forbes. A pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," the older woman smiled as she turned to Caroline expectantly.

"Nice to meet you too," she gave him a forced grin.

"Leave Caroline alone," Rebekah scowled at her twin, "She's done nothing to deserve your 'attention.' Just drop it."

Kol rolled his eyes as he dropped into a seat beside Klaus.

"Hi, I'm Finn," his face was slightly expressionless as he shook both hands politely before also sitting.

Realising that they had not properly introduced themselves, Klaus and Rebekah also made introductions. The older brother's was slightly less enthusiastic than his sister's, but it was easy to tell that it was sincere.

"Right then," David looked around and smiled, "First, we need to dicuss the rotation of security personnel in the town."

Caroline threw her head back, her neck on the top of the seat. The conversation was long and for the most part, pretty boring. However, she understood that it was important. She barely noticed Klaus' eyes flickering over to her once in a while- she wasn't the only one who was bored.

She was eventually snapped out of her trance as she heard David offering her mother tea.

"We can stay for a bit, can't we?" she turned to her daughter, "Caroline, you have nothing to do."

The blonde shook her head.

"We could go up to my room, if you'd like," Rebekah suggested, "I've got more stuff to do up there than there is down here."

Caroline nodded and stood up; joining the other girl as they ran up many, many steps. She was tempted to make a 'is this Hogwarts or something?', but quickly decided against it. After what seemed like an age, they eventually stopped outside a small door. Rebekah opened it and let her quest in first, before entering and closing the door behind her.

It was a very pretty room. The walls were a pale blue with swirly white patterns, a four poster bed in the far right, up against the wall with a Victorian-style table flanking each side. Across from that was a HUGE flatscreen TV which was probably in HD. It was above a fireplace, which was currently not on. A seat was attached underneath the window. There was also a sleek laptop on a desk, next to a printer and a small pile of schoolbooks. Not far down from the fireplace stood a door, which Caroline guessed led to an ensuite. There was also what looked like a walk in wardrobe next to the entrance.

"Wow, your room is incredible," she gasped, "How did you get it organised when you only just came into town?"

"We were given an e-view by a designer," Rebekah replied loftily, "They came and sorted it all out before we arrived. All of the things we could live without for a while was sent ahead of our arrival so it was set up when we got here."

Caroline nodded before heading towards the bed, sitting down on it. Gasping in surprise, she took in the comfort that it brought her.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Rebekah smiled as she joined her.

"Very," Caroline agreed, "What shall we do then?"

"Well, we have several choices. I have a pretty big DVD collection but there would be no real point of starting as you'll be going home in an hour. We could watch something on the laptop, or do something on it. I've got quite a bit of make-up and perfume as well."

"How about we just talk for a bit?" the other blonde suggested, "We don't really know each other that well."

Rebekah nodded, "Works for me."

There was silence for a moment.

"So, have you lived here all your life?"

"Yes, born here, both parents from here. I'm actually part of one the Founding Families, which are the descendants of those who started the town. There's us and the Gilberts, along with the Salvatores, Lockwoods and Fells."

"I know that Elena's a Gilbert and that Stefan and his brother are Salvatores, but is there anyone from the other two families I should know?"

"Carol Lockwood is the mayor and her son Tyler is in my year at school. His dad, Richard, was killed a few years back. Terrible, that was. He was out and about, doing whatever and this kid called Charlie Watkins who was back home for the holidays from college, went and stabbed him. When the police arrested him, he started babbling on about how he was Richard's illegitimate son from an affair. He died before he could give a sample. Charlie was charged with first-degree murder and is currently locked up."

"Yike," Rebekah grimaced, "How awful for his family."

"At least justice was served. Richard seemed like such a nice man too. Concering the Fells, we have two in our school- Blair and Tina, both seniors. Blair's okay but Tina's a bit of a bitch and she did some community service for DUI. There's Logan, the news reporter who's married to a woman named Monica and they're expecting their first baby. There is also his cousin Meredith, who's a doctor. She's really nice. Graduated from Yale."

"Wow. Yale," Rebekah nodded, impressed.

"What about you, then? I bet moving was hard."

She shook her head, "Not really, I was glad to go. I was bullied at my last school."

"Bullied?"

"Yes, the girls were absoloute cows. They said I was a bitch, which is probably true and said some really, really nasty things to me. I wouldn't stand for it and got a lot of verbal abuse for standing up for myself. Even though it was mostly talk, I did get a bit of physical abuse. They pushed me against lockers in the changing rooms once or twice and pulled my hair."

"Wow. Where were your bodyguards during all of this?"

"The ones on school-duty are male, so they weren't in the changing rooms."

"Didn't you say anything to your parents?"

Rebekah shook her head, "Oh God, no- they didn't care. If I told mother, she would comfort me for a while and tell me to take no notice of them, before going off somewhere. Father ignored the problem completely- he didn't want the press to get wind of a 'weakness' in the family. He already thinks that Kol is an embarassing womanizer and that Klaus is a 'waste of space.' I overheard him telling his friend that he didn't want another 'train-wreck.' He LOVES Elijah- he's the favourite and there's never a problem with Finn."

"Oh," Caroline was unsure of what to say, "Well, I can assure you; no-one will hurt you here. They'll have me to answer to."

"Thanks," Rebekah smiled, "I'm just popping to the bathroom."

She stood up and headed towards the ensuite. However, she was stopped in her tracks by a knocking on the door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened and Klaus entered.

"Have you seen my sketch pad?"

Rebekah nodded towards the table next to her bed before entering the bathroom, shutting the door. Klays walked over and grabbed his book, plopping himself beside Caroline on the bed. He cursed under his breath as he flipped through the pages.

"So, you draw?"

He nodded slightly, "Yeah."

"Can I have a look?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he replied sharply, shutting it immediately.

"Oh."

"I don't like anybody seeing my work. It's for me and only me."

"I don't mean to be offensive here, but why aren't you trying to make any friends here? I mean, you've got the potential to be popular but you choose to ignore it. Why do you enjoy being alone?"

Klaus glared at her, his eyes piercing into her like a knife.

Before anything more could said, Rebekah left the toilet.

"Woah," she pretended to be shocked, stepping back with her hands in the air, "There's some tension in here. Did I walk in to the World Stare Contest Championship Finals?"

"Ha ha," Klaus replied dryly as he tucked his sketch book under his arm and exited swiftly.

When the door shut loudly, Rebekah sat back down and turned to Caroline.

"What was that all about?" she asked with confusion.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Caroline replied honestly.

"Don't take it personally; he doesn't really take to anyone."

They continued the conversation, but all Caroline could think about was Klaus. He was moody and at times, downright rude, but she found herself inexplicably drawn to him. Maybe it was his good-looks. Or maybe it was the way he made an impact on everyone without even trying.

One way or another, she'd manage to coax him out of his shell.

**So, that was Chapter 4.**

**Who else loved the finale? The Klaroline scenes were pretty damn awesome and the scene with Klaus and the graduation caps- EPIC! Ooh and the twist with Stefan! Jeez, the guy can't catch a break, can he?**

**Next up: there's a party in Mystic Falls and the whole gang is invited. Stefan and Rebekah become closer and Klaus does a surprising act.**

**Please review? I'd like at least seven more before I next update.**

**Thanks and see ya later xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMED**

**Thanks to helfabulousgirll; Jamie; DorkeyGurrl; yourloved; Aaaamber; Mystery Girl3; SkyBlue1309; Sissymac and hopeless367 for reviewing!**

**Thanks also to the 60 followers and 26 favourites! I'm aiming for ten reviews this time please.**

**Replies:**

**Yourloved: It is addressed in this chapter.**

**Hopeless637: His nicer side will be explored next chapter.**

**Jamie: She won't be in it. One because she won't fit in and two because I've never really liked her, even before the whole thing with her and Klaus.**

**Chapter 5**

"Hey guys!" Tyler greeted them as the entered the huge back garden of the Lockwood Mansion, "Great that you came! Refreshments are near the back and if you need to toilet, use the one near the kitchen."

He man-hugged Matt and gripped hands with Stefan. He gave Lexi, Bonnie and Elena a quick squeeze but only nodded at Caroline. There was still awkwardness between them, but both parties hoped that a friendship could be made.

"Hi, you must be Rebekah," he shook her hand politely and smiled, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," she responded, "Your home is magnificent."

"Thanks," he seemed pleased with the compliment, "My mom is an awesome decorator. Well, don't let me stop you- go have fun!"

He stepped back and let them go in properly, before going forward to greet the next lot of people. They gasped in awe at the awesomeness of the scene- this was a true party. The trees were decorated with large lights, which radiated the whole area. A huge sound system with gigantic speakers and a pretty good DJ provided a pretty good dance atmosphere. Almost obscured by the vast amounts of people, the table was laden with a variety of drinks and food.

"Wow, Tyler's outdone himself," Matt nodded at the scene, "I mean, his parties are usually well put-together, but this is borderline awesome."

"You haven't even gotten into it properly," Stefan shot back as they moved closer to the central hub. However, before they could get any further, a figure approached.

"Oh look, it's my favourite people."

Damon Salvatore stared at the group, wearing his trademark leather jacket and smirk. Not noticed by anyone, his eyes scanned Elena for a moment, quickly before she noticed.

"Rebekah, meet the older Salvatore, Damon," Bonnie nodded at him, "Damon, this is Rebekah Mikaelson."

"Hey, welcome to Mystic Falls. All you need to know is that I make this town what it is."

"What? A boring little place?" Caroline shot back.

"Ha ha," Damon laughed sarcastically, "Hey Gilbert, want to dance?"

"What me?" Elena asked as 'I Love It' started playing.

"Yes, you," Damon held out a hand, daring her to join him.

She blushed slightly and accepted it, letting him lead her over to the dance floor, where they immediately started to move to the music. Well, Elena did. Damon just made random movements with apparent pattern or rhythm.

"He's trying to impress her."

"Really?" Rebekah raised her eyebrows.

"He does it in a weird way," Stefan commented, "Hey, d'ya all wanna grab a drink?"

"I'm good thanks," Bonnie tossed her hair back; "I've got to find Heather about the dress she borrowed from me. Care, come with?"

The other blonde nodded and the two departed to find the other teenager.

"Lexi's determined to prove she can out-dance me," Matt told them, "And I am not one to back down on a challenge." He offered his arm to his female friend, who stuck her tongue out at him as they dashed away from the others.

"Drinks?" Stefan turned to Rebekah, who nodded.

They went over to the table together, completely in silence. He glanced at her every so often- he believed her to be pretty, but in a different way to the other girls. She was more glamorous, like a Hollywood movie star. Today, she wore her hair long and sleek with a short white dress, black pumps and a leather jacket accessorized with several chain-necklaces.

"So, are you enjoying Mystic Falls?"

"Yes, it's very nice. I like it better than DC- in the city, everything was rushed and everyone was busy. There's a much slower pace here and it's quite lovely."

"Do you miss the White House?"

"Not really," she shook her head, "It was so large and the only thing that made it moderately liveable was the flurry of activity and most of the time I hated that."

They arrived at the refreshment table.

"What would you like?" Rebekah asked.

"A J20 please, Apple and Mango."

She handed him one and then took one for herself. He turned to her and motioned for a toast.

"To new relationships," Stefan stated.

"To new relationships," Rebekah echoed as they clinked their glasses together, drinking thirstily. The taste was refreshing and they smiled as they finished the first quarter without breath,

"Shall we go somewhere a bit quieter?"

"Sure." They walked down their winding path to a lonely tree. It was not too far away from the party, but it was far enough for a private conversation.

Yet again, they stood in silence for a while. Deciding to spice up the conversation, Rebekah decided to try for a risky move.

"How many girls have you been with?"

Stefan almost spat out his drink.

"As in…with, with?"

Rebekah shook her head quickly, "I mean as in, relationship."

"Not many," Stefan replied honestly, "My first girlfriend was a girl called Charlotte Dufois. Well, what I mean by a girlfriend is that we kissed in a pool when I was 11 and went on a few dates. She moved to France with her family later that year. I had a few more in middle school and went on the odd date at the start of high school. But in freshman year, I started dating Elena. I'd been attracted to her for a while but that all changed when she was out my house one day…we were hanging out, doing homework and out of the blue, she kissed me. We were together for over a year and then one day, she just called it quits. Elena told me that she was attracted to another guy and she definitely knew it was mutual and that she didn't want to go behind my back. Broke my heart-shattered it like a glass vase."

"Do you hold it against her?" Rebekah asked softly.

"No, I don't. I think that it was good of her to back out of the relationship before she cheated. That would have broken my heart even more. However, she never told me who the guy was and never seemed to act on it. Whether he rejected her or what, I don't know."

"Who do you think it is?"

"No idea, but I'd like to know."

Rebekah frowned at him.

"But what about you, then?" he turned to her, taking a swig of his drink, "You been in any relationships worth noting?"

She nodded sadly, "Like you, I had the odd boyfriend. My middle and high schools were combined and everybody apart from my brothers hated me so the guys I was with were usually from out of town or from other institutions. I was content with that until a popular boy called Alexander King asked me on a date in freshman year. I thought it was a joke at first, but he persisted and eventually won. We dated for a few months and they were magical. One day, Alex asked me to meet him in the park. I escaped from my bodguards and found him. He then told me that he was never really interested in me- he'd been seeing ten other girls behind my back during our time together. He used me- just for a laugh."

Stefan gasped at the sheer cruelty of the act.

"That is so awful."

Rebekah sighed, "I know. I just wish I hadn't been charmed by him, but he's the kind of person you get drawn to easily."

"One day, I'm sure you'll find someone who is worthy of you. Someone who is kind to you and treats you with the upmost respect."

She smiled, "Thank you. And I am sure that you will also find somebody."

He smiled back at her and placed a stray curl behind her ear, causing her to blush. Even though she considered Caroline her closest friend since her arrival, she found it easier to open up to Stefan. Something about him made her trust him and his kindness.

"What about your boarding school in England? Was it nice?"

"I liked it there," Rebekah replied, "It was quite nice. There were obviously some nasty people, but there weren't any full on bullies. It was quite easy to forget though- not for Klaus, he still has the accent and still uses the lingo."

Stefan smiled.

"Do your brothers have any girlfriends?"

"Elijah is dating this heiress called Katherine. She can be a bit of a bitch sometimes, but she's mostly okay and is quite funny. I'm surprised father likes her- it might be do to the money her family has. Finn's with a girl named Sage. She's quite quiet but she is generally quite a nice and caring person. You can tell what they share is true love- the only reason why he was so bothered about leaving DC was because he wouldn't be able to spend his final year with her."

"What about Kol?"

Rebekah nodded over to her brother, who was juggling many bottles to a (mainly female) crowd of admirers.

"Kol's too much of a flirt to stay with any woman for a given time. The longest relationship he's had is a week. He acts like a pervert, but he isn't really- if he is with a girl, he is quite respectful of their boundries. I think when he finds the right person, he'll settle down but I don't expect him to soon. He is only fifteen."

"You sound so wise."

Rebekah smirked, "I have been told."

"And what of Klaus?"

"Klaus is a different story. He has a complex romantic history- I won't go into detail, as that is unfair on him because it's not my story to tell. However, I think he may have taken an interest in someone."

"Who?"

Rebekah paused, "I think he may like Caroline. Whenever someone mentions her, his eyes light up and he is really interested in the conversation. When the topic is changed, he'll go back to his normal self. I've also caught him staring at her once or twice. From what I gather, there's definitely something there."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"If I confronted him, he'd only deny it. Klaus is an expert in keeping from telling the truth or revealing his feelings. It is incredibly rare he opens up to people."

"Maybe Caroline will be the one he opens up to."

"I doubt it," Rebekah responded, "If he does like her and they do enter a relationship of some kind, it could be a while before he says anything."

She was about to open her mouth to say more, but Stefan silenced her with a finger to the lips. Caroline was passing and even though they were a good distance away, he knew her to have exceptional hearing.

The blonde had enjoyed the party so far. She'd chatted with people she didn't usually see and danced with Matt, Lexi, Elena and Bonnie. The food she had was delicious but she was now thirsty from all her time boogying.

Just as she was about to pick up a drink, she felt a presence.

"Hey, Caroline."

It was William Duncan, a friend of Tyler's. He was a linebacker in the football team- about 6 and a half feet tall, with unadulterated muscle. In short, he was one mean machine.

"Hi, Will." Caroline had barely spoken to him in the past, but she didn't like the sound of him. He was apparently very horrible and treated girls like crap. However, they were just rumours and she wasn't one for judging.

"Would you like to dance with me?" he asked politely.

She shook her head, "I would love to, but not now. I'm a little tired and quite thirst. How about I meet up with you later and we can?"

His face went from smiley to frowning in a second.

"That was not a question, it was a demand Caroline."

Slightly shocked, she took a giant step back. However, his strides were a lot bigger and he grabbed her arm.

"Get off me," she hissed, trying to pull away. It was no use; however, he had an iron grip.

"I will if you dance with me," he shot back, his tone full of anger. From his speech, she guessed that he'd been drinking slightly, but not enough for his character to be altered.

Caroline paused. She had several options. One was to dance with him, which she immediately vetoed. There was no way she was going to do it now.

Another was to kick him and try and run. Caroline didn't look it, but she was a pretty fast sprinter and had tried for track several times. Her Uncle Tom was a martial-arts expert and during his visits, he had taught her how to defend herself. As much as she would like to kick his ass, she knew that it was a potentially bad idea. Whilst she had stealth, he had pure strength. He could quite easily hurt her. She did really badly want to try but she had to admit she was more scared about taking that risk than she would admit.

Not wanting to get anybody else involved, she tried one more time to pull free, but Will was not taking any chances.

"Get here," he pulled her to him.

"I'd rather dance with a brainless, frog-faced lunatic," she told him bravely, "But there wouldn't be much difference between the two of you."

"My, my, aren't you funny?" he laughed condescendingly.

"Mate, I suggest you let go of her," a deadly voice spoke from behind her.

She turned her head round just enough to glance at Klaus, who was radiating anger.

Will just smirked.

"I told you to let go of her," Klaus stated, less calmly this time. If looks could kill, Will would be suffering an agonising death.

The football player released Caroline's arm and she staggered back, pain settling into the spot he had gripped her. People were starting to gather round, interested by Klaus' presence. Some walked up to her and asked her if she was okay, offering help. Thanking them, she assure them that she was fine.

"You got a problem with me?" Will asked Klaus.

"Yes, I do," the blonde shot back, "I've got a problem with you hurting an innocent girl. I would like you to apologise to Miss. Forbes."

"And what if I don't want to?"

"Then I will ensure that you will not have the great evening you planned. There are bodyguards in this place that I am sure wouldn't mind giving you what you deserve."

_WACK!_

Klaus recoiled slightly as Will's fist impacted with his face. A gasp echoed through the crowd and several people rushed forward to witness what was happening.

The First Son wasn't taking any of it and a second later, he had returned the hit. This brought up a chant of FIGHT! FIGHT! in the audience. Rebekah was not far away, trying in vain to dissuade her brother.

Several punches later and two bodyguards appeared. The tallest grabbed Klaus whilst the other latched onto Will. The latter's lip was bleeding profusely.

"Get this one inside and patch him up," another one, a female arrived at the scene, "I suggest you go home, son."

"Fine," Will spat, pulling away from the restrainer, "I was having a crap time anyway." And with that, he followed the man inside.

"Mr. Mikaelson, are you okay?" the woman asked him, her voice cool.

"Yeah, I'm fine Brenda," he replied, "The fight is over now- you may go back to patrolling the party."

She raised her eyebrows, "Like I'm going to let that happen."

"Let him continue, but keep close," the tall man advised her.

Klaus briefly nodded at both of them before storming off, forcing the crowd to part in order to let him through. Without missing a beat, Caroline started following him, jogging at a good pace. Boy, was he a fast walker.

"Klaus!" she called after him.

He slowed down and turned to her, his face unreadable.

"Thank you for what you did back there. It was very brave."

"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart," Klaus shot back, "I would have done it for anyone."

Caroline frowned. He was putting up walls again.

"I understand that," she replied cautiously, "But the thing is, you seemed so angry. I've never seen anyone fume like you did just then. All I want to know is why."

"I just don't want anything happen to you."

Caroline froze and remained rooted to the spot. It slowly dawned on Klaus that what he said was quite a game-changer.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, love."

He began to walk away, but Caroline had had enough.

"You cannot just say something like that and walk away like nothing happened! Klaus, you push people away and I want to know why! I don't want to sound pushy, but I really think you should make an effort. In the few weeks I have known you, I have thought you to be slightly lonely and it worries me. I care Klaus and it worries me that you try so hard when you push people away. If you would open up to me, I would gladly be your friend."

He had continued walking on just before his speech, but whirled around during it. He looked a lot less livid than previously.

"Thank you."

"And then you…what?"

"I said thank you," Klaus looked her up and down, "For caring. Not many people do."

With that, he disappeared into the night.

Caroline smiled- this was definitely an improvement.

**Well that was that chapter- I hope you enjoyed it. If any of you want to see Caroline kicking ass in a later chapter, please tell me because I may add it in, but I'm not sure if I should.**

**Next time: Caroline's thirsty at Rebekah's sleepover and goes for a drink. What happens when she encounters Klaus on her way and discovers a secret of his?**

**Thanks and goodbye for now xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMED**

**Thanks to **Heidiionanita, Pinkgem22, Mystery Girl3, Sissymac, Aaaamber, April420, javierfleming28, Lc4evs, Jamie, kacomu, NikMik and CarolineFan for reviewing.

**It seems like a lot of you want Caroline to kick butt! I promise that I'll try and incorporate it into the story.**

**CarolineFan: I'll try and add that in later for you.**

**Lc4evs: I have to admit, Graduation had me slightly questioning by Stebekah. **

**javierfleming28: That may very well come to be a reality, but it's still a maybe.**

**Chapter 6**

_A month later._

Caroline woke with a start and it took her a moment to realise where she was. Once she did, she looked around. She rubbed her bleary eyes and yawned loudly.

Bonnie was quietly snoring, her right arm stretched out and used as a pillow by a sleeping Elena. The red nail varnish bottle sat between them and she noticed that her dark-haired friend only had a half-finished left hand. Rebekah's upper body was dangling from the bed and her legs were at an odd angle. Lexi seemed to be the only one who was sleeping normally- she was smuggled in her sleeping bag.

A sudden thirst spread over her tongue. Reaching for a drink, she realised that she forgot to bring one up with her. Sighing, she threw her covers away and got up, stretching slightly. She placed Bonnie's boot-slippers on her feet and tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake her friends. She made sure the door was fully closed before she walked softly away.

The house was usually buzzing with activity, but it was oddly quiet at one o'clock in the morning. She guessed that a few agents would be roaming around, but not as much as during the day. According to Finn, they patrolled the outside more during the night. She'd had a small conversation with him when she had arrived, whilst she, Rebekah and Lexi were waiting for the others. He'd talked about Sage and boy, his face lit up. He also chatted a bit about security and Caroline asked him about what it was like to be a member of the First Family. When the other two arrived, he quietened down considerably. Maybe he was shy when it came to a lot of people.

She started to walk down the stairs, deep in her own thoughts.

As she reached the lower floors, she distinctly remembered passing a door which Rebekah mentioned as having a water cooler inside. She guessed it to be a study of some kind.

Opening the door, she realised this was definitely not a study.

The room was large and covered in drawings and paintings of all size.

Everything there was so beautiful and well-done. The landscapes were lined across all of the walls, just underneath the ceiling. A lot of horse drawings also littered the room and the canvas near the back had a half-done painting of a strong steed overlooking a hill. The professionalism of the painting was extraordinary.

However, one thing caught her eye.

A sketchbook sat innocently on the side, with the letters 'CF' written in a curvasive font on the front. It was too big of a coincidence.

She had to pick it up.

The first page was a very accurate sketch of her sat in the school library, leaning back on the chair and reading a book. She recalled that Klaus had only been there for a few minutes before leaving. He must have had a photographic memory.

The next one was of her stroking Lexi's puppy George.

She wasn't the only person in the image on the third sketch. It showed her beside the lockers, stood with Bonnie to her right and Elena to her left. All of three of them were laughing hysterically at something.

She was about to flip over when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"What are you doing?"

She spun around and stared into Klaus' eyes. She was surprised to see that he looked more irritated than angry.

"I...I...I thought there was a water cooler in here and I needed it because when I woke up, I was thirsty. I guess I got the wrong room."

He didn't respond.

"These pictures are the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

That caught his attention. He looked up sharply.

"Really?" he asked apprehensively, as if he expected her to burst out laughing and tell him that she was joking, "Which ones?"

"All of them," she replied, "Especially those, the landscapes. It's just like you painted over a photograph."

A silence came over both of them as Klaus wandered over to her, picking up the sketchbook containing the portraits for Caroline.

"I also admire the drawings of me you've done- Klaus, why did you choose me? Out of all the girls you could draw, why me?"

"Because you are a challenge to draw. It is hard to capture your essence, your light. With other ladies, it's just a case of putting pen to paper- well, pencil to paper. You are also much more interesting than other ladies. Love, you are a muse-you show a radiance which is so rare and refreshing."

She stared at him, flabagasted. In her life, she had been praised a lot with the average 'you're so pretty,' but she had never been complimented in a manner like this.

"Would you like to come and sit with me for a while?" Klaus asked.

She nodded and followed him to the furthest corner in the room, where he produced two chairs. They were both promptly seated.

"You know, you're the first person to see any of my art. When they transferred our stuff to this house, they were under strict orders not to peek. I put everything up myself and am the only one who owns a key to this room."

"Wow, you take this stuff seriously."

"I do- this place is my sanctuary. Art is my one escape- it makes me feel free. Ok, that's a lie- there is one other thing."

"And what's that?"

Klaus paused, obviously torn about whether he should tell her or not.

"Riding. Back in DC, there were stables not far from where I lived, a short walking distance. I went everyday if I could. I'd wake up, do the usual morning routine, go to school, come home, grab a snack, do a bit of homework, go to the stables, come back for dinner and then go back before returning home at around eight. That was in summer though- in winter, I'd limit the hours so that I could stay inside in the warmth and do my art. My father thought that the riding thing was stupid but mother talked him off banning me. I think she only did that because it kept me distracted. One day, my horse, Thunder, was ill. Not deathly ill, but ill enough for me to be worried. My father wanted to present me to some embassy dude but I was having none of it. He presumed it was because I find of thing dull. When he went off to find me, a staff member informed me that I'd gone off to care for Thunder. Well, let's just say he wasn't too happy. Father stormed to the stables and caught me assisting the stable hands as we waited for the vet. He accused me of embarassing him and ordered Thunder to be put down. I was put under constant watch for a month and was not permitted to go riding ever again."

Caroline was horrified. How could someone's father rob their child of such happiness?

"That is awful," she whispered, reaching out to pat his arm. Not long ago, he would have jerked away but not anymore. I just can't imagine how hard that was for you."

"After that little stunt, I pretty much stopped talking to him. I did consider changing my mind, but then I heard him being horrible about Rebekah behind her back and I wasn't too happy with the things he said about my baby sister."

"No offense, but your father sounds like a jerk."

Klaus laughed hollowly, "You got it bang on there, sweetheart. He may be a brilliant politician, but he's most definitely my least favourite person."

He glanced at her.

"I'm not entirely why I'm telling you all this. I'm not exactly known as being a people person."

"I think it's nice that you're opening up to someone. You can't keep your feelings bottled up forever."

"I don't know why I'm telling you, to be honest. Ever since the incident at the party, you haven't talked to me at all. I don't know what to think of you."

She frowned.

"I thought you were avoiding talking to ME," she responded, "That's why I didn't talk to you."

"Well, I suppose that explains a lot."

They delved into silence once again.

"Can I ask you a question?" Klaus turned to her.

"Sure," Caroline nodded, fiddling with her hair.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" he wondered, "The only person outside of my family who has taken this level of interest in me was my art teacher, Mrs. Martin at my last school."

"I just want to help and think it's important to be nice to people. It's a good attitude to have."

Klaus smiled slightly, "I can see why you're so popular at school- cheer captain, head of the Dance Committe and a sweetheart."

"Sweetheart? How complimentary."

He smirked at her as he got up and grabbed a bottle of water from the side, throwing it in her lap. Smiling gratefully, she pulled of the lips and immediately began to drink thirstily.

"I bet you needed that."

"I did," she agreed, "So tell me, Mr. Mikaelson, how come you are opening up to me?"

"I guess I'm just tired of keeping everything to myself," he commented as he started on a bottle of fruity aqua, "But, I'm afraid I will have to kill you if you tell anybody about tonight's conversation."

Unfortunately for Caroline, he sounded deadly serious.

"I'm also curious as to why you're so talkative all of a sudden."

"You'd be surprised, love. When I'm around family, I can be quite the talker. Well, that's questionable but I am less silent than I am in other company. Besides, a month is a long time to think things over Just don't expect me to be chatty around your friends."

"Do you not like them or something?"

"The Gilbert girl irritates me. Matt and Bonnie are tolerable. That Lexi seems okay and I like Stefan."

"Fair enough," she didn't seem too interested in arguing.

"It sounds like you agree."

She didn't feel like she should lie to him after he'd been so honest with her.

"Elena can be kind of annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love her, she's like a sister to me but sometimes it seems like the world revolves around her. It may or may not be her fault, but still."

Klaus nodded quietly before continuing with his drink.

Caroline got up and did a lap of the room, stopping every so often to examine the artwork. There was a very nice image of him and his siblings, all in order of age- Elijah, Finn, Klaus, Kol, Rebekah and finally Henrik, looking like he did when he did. Everyone was smiling, apart from Kol who was wearing that lopsided grin of his.

"Do you miss him?"

"Who?"

"Henrik."

"Of course," Klaus replied without hesitation, "But I don't want to talk about that now."

"Oh, sorry," Caroline immediately apologised, "I didn't realise..."

He shrugged, "You didn't know, not your fault. Maybe another day, but it may be a while. The hurt is still there."

Caroline opened her mouth to apologise but her companion shook his head and stood up, walking over to her.

"It's getting late; I think we've had enough for a day," he told her, "I'll walk you back to Bekah's room."

They both headed over to the door and Klaus; being the ever-gentleman he was, opened it and let Caroline out first before following her out. The way back to the bedroom consisted mainly of small talk, as they felt that the previous conversation had been too much for an early morning.

"Mr. Mikaelson? Miss Forbes?"

They both turned to see Agent David Clark, donned in a black dressing gown and slippers.

"What are you doing? It's very late; you should both be in bed."

He tried to sound as if he was not joking, but he had a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at the pair. They knew what he was implying. Like Rebekah, he seemed to think that the middle Mikaelson brother had taken an interest in Caroline.

"I went to find a drink and bumped into Klaus," Caroline explained, "Then he offered to walk me back to Rebekah's room."

"Sure," David wasn't convinced, "Off you go then. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Night," they both answered simultaneously as they walked up the steps. Reaching the corridor, they eventually arrived outside the door.

"Well, I bid you goodnight."

"Thanks, for everything," Caroline smiled, feeling the sudden urge to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. Resisting the temptation, she gave him a nod and slipped into the room quietly.

And as she entered, that familiar thirst hit her tongue.

Damn it, she'd forgotten the drink.

**So that was Chapter 6! I'm not too happy with it, to be honest.**

**Next time on 'Finally Free': It's a girlie day at Elena's and one of the girls gets a pleasant surprise.**

**Okay, I need your guys help on what to do with Bonnie. Whilst I've made it obvious what my ships are for the other characters and have some ideas for others, I'm stuck on what to do with her. I don't really think it's necessary to have EVERYONE in a relationship, cause that's not always the case but still. I have three options:**

**She reveals a crush next chapter.**

**She remains single for a short time but gets someone special for an event later on.**

**She is the only one without a significant other.**

**Please review with your answer if you're interested. I start writing the next chapter on Friday so you have just under two days.**

**Thanks and see ya later xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMED**

**Sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy with school. However, I broke up for summer this week (FINALLY), so I'll have more time to update.**

**Thanks to 17, jasmineandlillies, javierfleming28, klefaroline-epicness, KlarolineDreamGirl, hopeless637, MysteryGirl3, SkyBlue1309, Jamie, Guest, Heidiionaanita, Pinkgem22, Sissymac, Aaaamber and all followers/favourites.**

**Chapter 7**

"Next up…Legally Blonde," Rebekah flung the DVD case across the room as the credits of Uptown Girls rolled.

"Careful," Elena admonished, "That could have hit my TV and my parents would kill me! Dad wouldn't be able to watch his soccer and you know how annoyed he gets when he can't watch it."

Rebekah rolled her eye. She was nice to everyone but Elena. There was an established rivalry between the pair, even though it was not yet borderline hatred. Rebekah has joined the cheerleading squad as a flyer, a position shared with the female Gilbert. The two constantly fought to look better- Elena's moves were better but Rebekah had more confidence and flair.

"Can't we just have a rest?" Bonnie sighed as she plonked herself down on the sofa, "You know, talk for a bit?"

"Sure," Lexi joined her on the couch as Caroline and Elena remained on the floor.

"We need to finish that prank call spree," Caroline reminded them all, "Just a couple of people left. Boy, Matt was really annoyed. He sounded like he wanted to kill someone."

"Tyler's was way better. The sound of his voice when Lexi posed as the bank lady and told him that his credit card had been stolen. We're so lucky that he didn't have it near him or it wouldn't have worked quite as well."

They all sniggered as Bonnie reached for her phone.

"What's Kol's number, Bekah?"

Rebekah recited it perfectly and Bonnie typed the numbers at lightning speed, after remembering to type in the digits to prevent him from calling her back. She pressed the green button, then speaker and placed it down on the floor.

"If anybody laughs, I'll kill them."

The phone emmitted a couple of rings as they waited with bated breath.

"Hello?"

"Kol, is that you? Is that really you?" Bonnie had changed her voice from its usual calmess to one filled with hope and excitement, "Is that really, you?"

"Normally I wouldn't object to having ladies ring me, but this time I have to ask- who is this, please?"

"Oh, you are a tease!" Bonnie spoke shrilly, "You know who this is."

"I seriously don't. Would you please have the heart to tell me who this is?"

Bonnie smirked before continuing, "If you must know, my name is Kathy! I'm your age and I went to your previous school in DC. I was in your US History class."

"I do not remember anybody by that name," Kol replied, "I'm terribly sorry. I don't know how you got this number but I think you may have made some kind of mistake."

"Please don't hang up;" 'Kathy' blurted out, "I need to confess something to you."

"What is it?"

"I'm completely in love with you!"

The girls pretty much lost it at that point. Elena stuffed her face into a pillow in an attempt to smother the giggling. Rebekah put her first in her mouth and Caroline's face was going kind of distorted as she attempted to refrain from ruining it. Tears were trickling from Lexi's eyes.

"Excuse me?" Kol breathed out in disbelief.

"You heard me- I'm in looooooooove with you, Kol Nathaniel Mikaelson!" Bonnie was brilliant at this, "The way your eyes brood and the way you grin when you see something funny. Some may like Robert Pattison, others One Direction, but you're the one for me! Whenever I see your picture, my heart flutters like a butterfly."

"Well that's...interesting."

"Is that all you have to say, my love? I crave for more."

"Of what?"

"Your beautiful voice. It is like music to my ears."

"Okay...erm, thank you." It was obvious he did not know how to respond to a declaration of love.

"You are most welcome," Bonnie gushed, "This may sound forward, but I would so desperately like to meet you. Can I?"

A crackling sound was heard from the phone.

"I'm s...sorry, what was that? You're breaking up."

Caroline summed it up as him using a sweet wrapper, something she had used many times in order to break up a conversation.

"I said, I'D LIKE TO MEET YOU!" Bonnie shouted.

The crackling ceased for a moment, before continuing. After several seconds, he hung up.

The girls cracked up, so pleased at the fact Bonnie had managed to scare Kol.

"That was mean!" Elena protested, "You've probably made him paranoid now."

"Says you!" Caroline shot back, "You were laughing harder than any of us. Besides, we'll make sure he knows it's a joke before the night is out. That I can assure you."

Elena rolled her eyes as Rebekah threw a pillow at her.

"Don't start," Bonnie wagged a finger at the pair of them.

They all laid back for a minute and Caroline had to smile. It had been quite a good day so far. They'd arrived at Elena's earlier and baked some cookies, which they had already consumed. The girls had then decided on a romantic movie marathon that ranged from the weepies like'A Walk to Remember' to the comedies like 'Knocked Up.' Lexi had attempted a cartwheel in the back garden, to hilarious results. Bonnie had also chased Rebekah round the house when she'd made a (in her eyes) funny comment, which culminated on Rebekah doing a full back flip was she slipped. She felt bad that her friend had been almost injured, but the gymnastic move made it so smile-worthy.

"Lexi?"

"Yes, Caroline?"

"When are you and Matt going to start dating?"

Lexi almost spat out her Coke (from a bottle with the name of, incidently, her 'boyfriend') and glared at her older blonde friend.

"I don't fancy him and I'm sure it's mutual," she replied, trying to hide the lies in her voice.

"Lex, please," Bonnie rolled her eyes, "We have so much proof that the two of you like each other. Whenever the pair of you are together, you both glance at each other and then pretend like nothing happened. You light up whenever he is mentioned and you have that awesome goofy grin. You've both got different personalities- you're more wild, fun- crazy even whilst he's a sweet idiot."

"See- total opposites."

"But opposites attract!" Rebekah countered as she reached forward to grab her Coca Cola.

Lexi glared at her.

"Calm down!" the other blonde raised her hands in surrender, "I was just stating the truth."

"Come on- admit it," Elena goaded, "You so like him! It's super obvious."

"So what if I do?" Lexi suddenly snapped, "It's not like he would go for someone like me. He likes the All-American cheerleader, preppy types. He doesn't like 'directionless' party girls like me!"

And, in a most uncharacteristic display, tears brimmed her eyelids.

There was a small silence before Caroline squealed loudly and pulled her friend in a tight hug. Lexi squirmed in her arms before successfully pushing her away.

"Sorry." Caroline forgot that Lexi was not one for hugging.

"So why didn't you tell us sooner?" Bonnie interjected before Rebekah could make a possibly tactless comment about the whole situation.

The straight-haired girl shrugged, "Because I'd never really thought about it too much before. You know what I'm like- I can't stay with a boy for longer than a week before I get bored with them. It's just my nature. I brushed off my feelings at first because I thought that if anything ever happened with him, I'd break his heart. Then, I got a bit more...monogamous and I thought that maybe I could try something. But then I realised that he would never go for me- I'm not his type. He wants someone...safe. If not a cheerleader, maybe somebody else, the girl-next-door type. Someone like Hilary Duff in _A Cinderella Story. _Sweet and kind."

"Yeah, but he'll want someone fun too," Elena replied, "You're the only person we know that would come to school in a feather boa, cowboy boots, Harry Potter glasses and a pirate hat just for a dare. Matt laughed harder than anybody when that happened."

Rebekah looked around, confused.

"Last year," Bonnie explained for her benefit, "We did truth or dare and we told Lexi that she had to wear several lucrative items to school the next day. Let's just say that she rose to the occasion magnificently. The school didn't know what hit it. She got detention for a week from Mr. O'Connor, a teacher who has it in for her, for 'going against the school dress code.' However, the principal vetoed it because what Lexi wore wasn't technically innapropriate."

"Good times," Lexi smiled through her tears, "I suppose you're right- Matt did find it hilarious."

"He did," Caroline assured her, "He thinks that you're really funny, I know it. You know how most girls like a guy who's funny? Well, it's the same for boys! They like funny lasses too."

"Thanks guys," Lexi whispered, "But I still don't feel much better."

Elena suddenly made a noise like a weird cat and jumped up and down, pointing at them all at random intervals. She was smiling rather like the clown from It, which scared the pants off Bonnie, who had been scarred for life by that movie as it had increased her fear of clowns.

"I know how we can make you feel better," she suggested, "We can all reveal our crushes."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Really Lena?" she asked in an annoyed voice, "Thing is, that's just putting pressure on everybody and it isn't really fair."

"Agreed," Rebekah added from the corner, glaring daggers at the brunette cheerleader who glared back with equal passion.

"But it will be just like a game of truth or dare, except it's a loss less voluntary."

A sigh rippled through the room. Elena wasn't going to back down and they were in a group of people whom they trusted, so there was no real problem.

"Fine," they all spoke simulatenously.

Elena clapped her hands together, just like a seal, "Fab. I'll go first. I'm sure that this will come as no surprise to you, considering how much you all badger me about it, but I like Damon."

No-one bothered to say anything on the matter at first.

"Finally," Caroline smirked, "I mean, you're right, it's not like anyone's surprised. And he obviously likes you back. You're the only one of us who he's actually semi-nice to- he's never even kind to Stefan, and that's his brother. He tries to show off in front of you. I'd think it was cute if I didn't think he was so annoying."

"Cheers...I think."

"Welcome," Caroline beamed, "Shall we go in a circle?"

"Sure. Lexi, we've had you. Bon Bon? Who's the object of your affections?"

"Nobody," replied Bonnie without a beat, "I actually genuinely don't fancy anybody at the moment. The last time I was interested in anyone was when I thought that guy that Matt did the Chemistry project with was cute."

Everybody looked at her for signs of lying, but they could not find any. Bonnie wouldn't lie to them, they reasoned.

"Fair enough," Elena shrugged, "Rebekah, if you'd be so kind."

The blonde blushed and for the first time since their meeting a few months ago, she looked embarassed. Turning redder, she made a small noise.

"What was that, sorry?"

"I kind of like Stefan," she whispered, her cheeks burning up, "He's been really sweet to me over these past few weeks and we've gotten really close. He's a real gentleman and will listent to me instead of talking about himself all of the time, like most guys do. I feel more than friendship for him."

"That's really sweet," Caroline gushed, "How long have you liked him for?"

It was painfully obviously for all present what she was trying to do.

"Don't try to push the conversation away from you," Rebekah wagged a finger at her new friend, "Who is it that you like?"

"No one," Caroline replied quickly, without a beat.

"LIES!" Lexi pointed her as if she was accusing her of murder.

"Excuse moi, sil vous plait?"

"You obviously like Klaus," Elena began to file her nails; "Even a butcher's blade couldn't cut the sexual tension between the two of you. Seriously, it couldn't!"

"Like I fancy Klaus!"

"Oh my gosh, you so do," Rebekah shot back, "When you were at my house the other day, you were glancing at him every so often as we were talking- and he was looking back! You're the only one who talks to him when there's a group of us and even if he is quiet, he still talks to you a bit. The list is endless."

"That's hardly a list."

"I didn't include everything- it would take me far too long."

"Because we're friends. Did you ever think of that?"

"Of course we did, but it's obviously not true," teased Bonnie.

Caroline rolled her eyes in annoyance as 'La La La' started playing in her bag. She dived for her phone but was too slow- Rebekah was already lifting it out.

"Oi!" Caroline called, "That's my phone- give it here!"

"Ooh, it's lover boy!" Lexi giggled as she read the caller ID over Rebekah's shoulder.

"What? Oh, give me that!" she tried to snatch it away but Bekah was one step ahead. Pressing the 'accept' button, she brought it to her ear.

"Hello, brother."

She could hear Klaus swear on the other end of the line, "Why are you answering Caroline's phone, sister?"

"For a laugh. What do you want?"

"Well, I did ring Caroline so that maybe a small hint as to what I want. Hand me back, please."

After what seemed like an age, the cell was back in the hand of the rightful owner, who jumped up as soon as she pressed it to her ear, rushing away from the girls who were yelling over to her.

"That was mean Bekah," Bonnie frowned.

"No it wasn't," Rebekah was confused by the dark-haired girl's sudden change of nature.

"It's mean to keep two lovers apart," she finished.

The youngest Mikaelson smirked and gave her a high five as Caroline hung up, walking back over to her friends.

"Did he finally ask you on a date, or something?"

"You aren't far off," Caroline muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"He wants to go out to lunch with me tomorrow."

**Cliffhanger. Kind of.**

**Next up: Klaroline go out for lunch. Will they remain friends or will Cupid's Arrow finally hit the unsuspecting lovers?**

**Please, please review. I'd like to hit at least 70 please.**

**Thanks and see ya xxx**


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